Pink Cattleya ID - fragrant, cute, may have virus?

[astrid]

Hey everyone!

On my bi-weekly orchid hunt today, I found this precious and VERY fragrant pink cattleya in Trader Joe's today. It's a sweet little dream find.

Identifying features:
-miniature/compact
-strong perfume-like fragrance
-trifoliate cattleya on its newest growth, bifoliate on the older growths

What worries me that it may have a virus is the stripe of white color on the flower. I know it's possible to have a color variation, but the color break can also be symptomatic of a virus. What do you guys think?

Thanks so much!

Possible contenders I've found:
Cattleya cherry song
Cattleya dolosa
Cattleya heathii

[ThePinkCucumber]

I'm afraid I can't help you with ID, but I can't sit here quietly - it is so GORGEOUS! So tiny

[euplusia]

Reminds me of loddigesii, probably an hybrid.
Not necessarily virus infected. My nobilior shows similar symptoms, will be tested in the future.

[Plodde]

Walkeriana?

[No-Pro-mwa]

You can send it my way, I'm sure the thing has a virus. Hehehehehehehe

[astrid]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

You can send it my way, I'm sure the thing has a virus. Hehehehehehehe

Don't even sass me!! I don't like it when people sass me OR CHID me!! See that pun? See? Was it hilarious?

Anyway, maybe I'll give off divisions in a few years if people love it so much, haha!

[Brooke]

I don' believe it is Heathii, a loddegessii x walkeriana hybrid or dolosa - both of these Catts don't have the fancy lip of your plant.

The color break virus is usually blotchy markings, not the strip of light color showing on the one bloom.

Brooke

[POLKA]

Regarding the markings, I would tell you to grow it carefully--no sharing--for about two or three more bloomings. If it continues to show this color break, then you should probably discard it.

HOWEVER, I suppose that new, first blooms can be a bit disconcerted, and will probably not show up in the next bloomings. "Teenagers" have troubles like this sometimes. I would not worry about it. I've had similar things happen before.

Take care
Thanks for sharing.

Rex

[WhiteRabbit]

It's a cutie!

I have learned through experience that the "cute, little" Catts at TJs, don't stay little (at least the ones I have gotten) - just an FYI if the possibility of it becoming quite a bit bigger is an issue for you.

For example, my Tropical Pointer which had 3" pbulbs three years ago (when I got it), and now has 6"+ pbulbs. Was in a 3" pot with room to grow (another year) when I got it, and is now climbing over the sides of a 5" pot. (I also have another couple Catt hybrids from TJs that looked cute and small when I got them, but have increased in size quite a bit)

[astrid]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

It's a cutie!

I have learned through experience that the "cute, little" Catts at TJs, don't stay little (at least the ones I have gotten) - just an FYI if the possibility of it becoming quite a bit bigger is an issue for you.

For example, my Tropical Pointer which had 3" pbulbs three years ago (when I got it), and now has 6"+ pbulbs. Was in a 3" pot with room to grow (another year) when I got it, and is now climbing over the sides of a 5" pot. (I also have another couple Catt hybrids from TJs that looked cute and small when I got them, but have increased in size quite a bit)

That's not too bad. It's not as big as some of the monster catts some of the people in my OS bring in to show off for everyone!

Thanks for the fair warning. I guess I'll see how this "little" baby grows for me. I did see another cattleya the other day that had bloomed 3 other times and was still small, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I will also look at your plant as motivation to train my catts to grow more upright! That ornery sprawly thing needs some discipline! Haha